1.13 Cost of living relief

The NSW Government is continuing to provide cost-of-living relief. Immediate support is matched by longer-term initiatives to improve housing affordability and lower energy costs.

A better, fairer system for 2.3 million renters

The Government’s rental reforms are reducing or eliminating unnecessary fees imposed on renters. This includes by providing fee-free ways to pay rent, banning fees before entering a tenancy, and limiting rent increases to once per year. This is supported by the nation’s first
Portable Rental Bonds Scheme.

Support first home buyers

From 1 July 2023 to 1 June 2025, more than 44,500 first home buyers, who purchased a home for up to $800,000 or vacant land up to $450,000, have received a transfer duty exemption or concession. More than 17,600 first home buyers, who purchased a home valued between $800,000 and $1.0 million received a transfer duty concession. In total, over 62,000 first home buyers have had their purchasing power boosted by an average transfer duty saving of around $20,500, or a total of $1.3 billion in support to first home buyers across New South Wales. The concessions and exemptions will continue to support more people to purchase their first home.

Energy relief

The NSW Government’s energy social program supports up to 1.0 million households per year and has delivered $693.2 million in cost-of-living support over the last two Budgets. This provides additional relief to households alongside the extension of the $150 national Energy Bill Relief payment to the first two quarters of 2025-26.

Boosting bulk billing

In its first eight months, the Bulk-Billing Support Initiative has provided around $4.0 million worth of payroll tax savings for GP clinics that enable them to provide more bulk-billing appointments for the community. This is in addition to commuting more than $100.0 million in historical payroll tax liabilities for contractor GP wages.

New pay agreements for public sector workers

Since 2023, the Government has delivered significant industrial relations reforms, including:

• abolishing the wages cap
• introducing a mutual gains bargaining approach through the Fair Pay and Bargaining Policy
• delivering the biggest pay increase to essential workers in over a decade, reaching multi-year pay agreements with Crown employees, school and TAFE teachers, police, correctional officers, transport workers, school support staff, paramedics and an in-principle multiyear agreement for rail employees.

Reaching multi-year agreements for better pay and conditions provides certainty and financial security to our public sector workforces. It also attracts and retains highly skilled and qualified workers and reduces vacancies, supporting:

• enhanced safety for our community by ensuring we have police on our streets
• quality education and support for our students by providing permanent teachers and support staff in our classrooms
• timely emergency response by recognised and accredited paramedics.

Cost-of-living support measures

In 2025-26, the NSW Government will assist households with cost-of-living pressures through dozens of measures, including:

• $579.0 million for the Australian Government’s energy bill relief to households and small businesses
• increased battery discount from 1 July 2025 through the Cheaper Home Batteries Program (administered by the Australian Government)
• double the current incentive from 1 July 2025 through the Virtual Power Plant scheme.

Housing

• First Home Buyer Assistance transfer duty exemptions on properties valued less than $800,000 and concessional transfer duty on properties valued less than $1.0 million for eligible first home buyers.
• A $10,000 First Home Owner (New Homes) Grant for eligible first home buyers of a newly built house, townhouse, apartment, unit or similar with a purchase price below $600,000 or land and new house package below $750,000.
• Rent Choice, Advance Rent, Bond Loan and other programs to help eligible people, including those escaping domestic violence, take up a private lease.
• Around a 30 per cent discount on the upfront cost of installing small-scale battery systems through the Cheaper Home Batteries Program (administered by the Australian Government) for eligible households and small businesses from 1 July 2025.
• Up to $1,500 discount (double the current incentive) through the Virtual Power Plant scheme from 1 July 2025.
• The Pensioner Council Rates Concession provides up to a $250 rebate on council rates and waste services to eligible pensioners, jointly funded by councils.

Energy and water

• Extension of the $150 national Energy Bill Relief payment to the end of 2025 (automatically applied to electricity bills in $75 quarterly instalments) for all households and eligible small businesses – in partnership with the Australian Government.
• Energy Accounts Payment Assistance for eligible people with short-term financial hardship, crisis or emergency.
• Energy rebates for eligible concession card holders, Family Tax Benefit recipients, seniors and eligible people who rely on mechanical and life support equipment.
• Water rebates for eligible pension and Department of Veterans’ Affairs card holders, as well as community organisations.

Health

• Assisting people in New South Wales, who have specific, short-term or ongoing health needs, by providing appropriate assistive technology through the Aids and Equipment Program.
• Providing ambulance services free of charge for certain concession holders and victims of sexual assault, domestic violence or child abuse.
• Providing new parents with a Baby Bundle filled with essential items to assist in their child’s early health and development.
• Free dental care for children attending schools participating in the NSW Health Primary School Mobile Dental Clinics program.
• Providing financial assistance towards travel and accommodation costs when a patient needs to travel long distances for treatment that is not available locally through the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme.
• Free glasses and vision aids for financially disadvantaged residents through the NSW Spectacles Program.
• Free parking at rural and regional public hospitals.
• The Pre-IVF Fertility Testing Rebate of $250 which helps eligible NSW residents cover the costs of fertility testing and $2,000 through the Fertility Treatment Rebate for eligible fertility treatments.

Education

• Up to $4,347 in fee relief for parents and carers of 3 to 5-year-olds in community and mobile preschools in 2025.
• Between $515 and $2,174 in fee relief to parents and carers of children aged 3 to 5 years attending eligible preschool programs in long day care centres in 2025.
• 44,995 fee-free training places for the formal training component of apprenticeships and traineeships.
• Subsidised vocational education and training for in-demand skills and industries, and fee concessions for Australian Government welfare beneficiaries and people with a disability through the Smart and Skilled program.
• The Vocational Training Assistance Scheme travel and accommodation allowance for apprentices or new entrant trainees who are required to travel more than 120 km round trip to attend day or block-release training.
• Bert Evans Scholarships for apprentices in New South Wales who are facing hardship in their personal circumstances but demonstrate a capability for vocational education and a positive attitude in their training and workplace.

Recreation

• Two $50 Active and Creative Kids combined vouchers for eligible families available twice a year to enable kids to participate in sports, recreation, cultural or creative activities.
• Free or subsidised swimming lessons for children and adults from culturally and linguistically diverse, and financially disadvantaged communities through the revised Learn to Swim Program.
• Discounted entry to national parks for certain concession holders including pensioners and veterans.
• Fishing licence fee exemptions for First Nations persons, youths and certain concession card holders, including pensioners and veterans.

Transport

• Toll Relief – $60 Weekly Toll Cap enabling eligible private motorists who spend between $60 and $400 on tolls a week to claim a rebate of up to $340 a week, each quarter through to 31 December 2025.
• The M5 South-West Cashback Scheme which enables residents to claim back the value of tolls paid (excluding GST) while using a vehicle registered in New South Wales for private, pensioner, or charitable use on the M5 South-West Motorway.
• Daily, weekend and weekly Opal Card Travel Caps for adults, children, youths and concession holders.
• The School Student Transport Scheme which provides subsidised travel to and from school for eligible students on government and private bus, rail and ferry services, long-distance coaches, and in private vehicles where no public transport services exist.
• Concessional Driver Licence Renewal fees for eligible concession holders.
• Vehicle registration exemptions for eligible concession card holders including pensioners.
• The Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme provides a 50 per cent subsidy of a taxi fare, up to a maximum of $60, for eligible NSW residents who cannot use public transport because of a severe and permanent disability.
• Providing a $100 rebate to registered first and second year apprentices through the Apprentice Vehicle Registration Rebate.
• Reducing the cost of towing privately registered caravans, boats and horse floats on toll roads through the Large Towed Recreational Vehicle Toll Rebate for up to eight trips per month.

Other

• The NSW Companion Card is for people with significant and permanent disability who need a high level of care in the community. The program allows a cardholder’s support person free entry into participating venues and events.
• Land Tax Early Payment Discount provides a 0.5 per cent early payment discount where the full amount is paid within 60 days of issue of the notice of assessment in the land tax year.
• Free Working with Children Checks for volunteers, students on a professional placement, and potential adoptive parents or authorised carers.
• Reduced or waived court fees in some circumstances where a person’s capacity to pay may otherwise limit his or her access to justice.
• The NSW Trustee and Guardian offers free preparation of Will and Power of Attorney documents for individuals eligible for a full Centrelink Age Pension, and for those receiving Department of Veterans’ Affairs Pension or Disability Support Pension and would otherwise be eligible for a full Centrelink Age Pension.

Image credits:
Austockphoto; Copyright State of New South Wales (Transport for NSW); Destination NSW; EnergyCo / Toby Zerna; Forbes Shire Council; NSW Department of Education; NSW Health; NSW Police Force; NSW State Emergency Service; Renee Nowytarger; Sydney Metro.